


A Prince's Promise

by Matthew_Williams (SpacePrinceLance)



Series: A Prince's Promise [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Prince John Egbert, Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-12-07 08:03:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/746206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpacePrinceLance/pseuds/Matthew_Williams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Egbert is a lonely Prince who only wishes to have friends. However, the villagers don't seem to care about how John feels and only treat him as royalty rather than a friend. But when a lowly merchant named Dave Strider walks into his life, things around John all start to change. Whether they are for the better or for the worst is up to you to find out. There is one secret that Dave bears, but is he willing to sacrifice his new-found friendship with John to tell him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Prince's Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Errrr...I know for a "Medieval AU" they still talk as if it were modern times, but I felt that would fit better otherwise they would sound out of character and icky. Also, let's pretend that sunglasses existed back then for the sake of the way things will go with this story.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys like this story so far!
> 
> \- Leah

_Today was the same as yesterday. I went to my garden that my sister and I cultivated ourselves, and sat by our dear Willow Tree. However, something was different. Today I heard the Willow cry. A Weeping Willow born of sadness._  


I am almost 18 years old and for my entire life all I’ve ever wanted was a friend. But I’ve found it is uncommon to meet anyone who treats me as a companion rather than royalty. They also either completely disregard who I really am or just plain ignore me instead whenever Jade was around. She’s the closest thing I’ve had to a friend. The towns’ people adore her; she’s bright, cheerful, kind, and loves to garden and bake. She’s perfect in their eyes, and well, maybe she is.

Then there’s me. John Egbert. A year younger than my sister and yet I’m the heir to the throne. Kingdom rules state that it is the firstborn son’s duty to become the future King. I don’t see why my sister can’t take over. She’d make a terrific Queen all by herself, and I’m sure she knows that. Our father doesn’t want some random guy to marry her and suddenly rule over the entire kingdom, whether he was a prince or not. He’s very specific about who he wants to rule, and apparently it’s me.

Moreover, he has a row of girls lined up so I can just pick one to marry. As if my father understands that I just can’t be forced to marry someone I do not love. He always tells me that sacrifices are meant to happen in the life of a prince. I never asked to be one, I just want to be treated normal, but all I ever get in return is “Your Majesty” and “Your Highness”. Can’t anyone just try and notice me for who I am?

“I’ll be gone for about 2 weeks but our servants will help look after the castle while I am gone. Can you handle that, John?” My father questioned, lifting embellishing suitcases into an ornate white carriage saddled with golden flourish. I gave him a smile of assurance, nodding thoughtfully as he gave an expectant sigh. “Very good. I hope that everything will be in order by the time of my return.”

“Of course; it’ll be even better,” I assured through a top-notch grin. He gave me a simple smile, one of which I knew that it meant he trusted my judgment.

“Now son, I just want you to remember that if you do find someone to fall in love with aside from these Princesses I have picked for you, please let me know. Your happiness is most important and I know you will make me proud.” I bit my lip, slightly cowering from the bit of nervousness I felt from hearing the words ‘fall in love’.

Falling in love with a difficult concept for me. Well, more of a weird concept than difficult. I never felt anything outside of friendship and most of my friends had left me before I could get to know them in my teenage years. Not that it matters now, since I guess I have to marry some random princess I probably won’t even give a damn about. ‘You’ll learn to love her’, my dad says. I just don’t want to be forced to love someone, which might drive me away from them even more.

At last my father entered the carriage, waving over-extensive good-byes. Before I knew it, the carriage descended into the horizon and I stood there pondering on what actions I should take next. I could see to the delivery that was to befall me today, but Jade said that she would handle it. I might as well head over to the opening gates and help her anyway.

Today I just wanted to relax by myself and hang out at our humble sanctuary. When my mother was still alive, she tended to the garden every day and fed the fish in the pond. They were only Koi fish, but my father said they were expensive. Well I suppose not for us especially, but for the normal, average person I guess. However, I will have to do that later since I should tend to the delivery.

As I was proceeding from the Southern to the Northern gates, I saw the main gate pulled down and the wooden haul used to carry the deliveries the merchants brought in. Although, this particular haul was crafted differently than the usual one that came by weekly. It was slightly more intricate, bearing an arch-like roof instead of the often used square one. Was there a new merchant delivering to us now? Or was this a one-time thing?

Approaching the gate inside the castle, I could see Jade conversing with the guards who were to let the merchant inside. I called out to her, she glanced at me whilst smiling and waved back. As I walked up, my cape secured itself on a wooden needle poking out of a wooden stall. Desperately trying to unhand my cape from the needle, it unfortunately ripped. However, I just ignored it for now and kept making my way towards my sister and the merchant.

My troubles were not over yet, and the many seamstresses that work to make my families clothes instantly surrounded me, fiddling with my cape. Not that I don’t want my cape fixed or anything, it’s just I was kind of in the middle of something important. Or rather, I was going to be in the middle of something important. Weaving my way away from them, they kept closely after, and the more I kept trying to get away the more I lost my balance until I eventually fell in a face plant right in front of someone. My dumb cape was strewn over my head and I could barely see anything aside from the black shoes seated in front of me.

“Woah there, you alright there Prince?” Even though the person offered a hand in a kind gesture, I quickly scrambled to get back on to my feet. Nice, Egbert. You’re a well renowned prince and you trip over your own feet in a flurry in front of a crowd of people. Because that’s the kind of image you want to make on a kingdom you will rule over one day.

“Just fine”, I lied, biting my tongue to hold back any negative outbursts I had swelling in my mind. Oh, it was the merchant, but it was a new one. He shrugged nonchalantly as he held his head up in new disconcertment.

This merchant looked very young; in fact he looked to be about my age. Sandy blonde hair that whirled gently with the outside breeze, dark polished angular shades that covered his eyes and light freckles dusted his cheeks faintly. He wore dirty old field drab trousers slightly torn from age. His torso consisted of an egg-white flannel shirt, a faded burnt umber vest sporting neatly upon his shoulders, and his feet were adorned with worn out ebony Oxford shoes.

The merchant casually leaned back a bit, and stuffed his hands inside his pockets as he waited for the merchandise to be hauled out. He was odd, keeping quiet as all of the boxes were loaded out. Jade disappeared to who knows where; she must have thought I could handle it and went to overlook other duties.

“That’s 187 boonbucks, then”, a sudden voice broke in through my thoughts.

“Huh?”

“The payment. 187 boonbucks” the voice said again, louder and more clear.

“Oh. Yeah sorry about that uh- er…”

“Strider. Dave Strider.” I nodded in acknowledgement and handed him the payment due.

“Oh! I’m Joh-“

“Don’t bother, I already know who you are.” Of course he does. I’m the Prince of the kingdom, you’d have to live under a rock if you didn’t know who I was.

“Well nice to meet you then, Dave.”

“Likewise.” Dave stood there aloof for a moment, as if he was going to say more but was wondering as to whether he should or not. “Say, what’s all this stuff for anyway?” I almost wanted to stab myself with a blunt sword and self-carry myself into salty water.

“Arrangements…My father made. Just dumb decorations and crap like that.”

“Wow for a prince your vocabulary sure is colorful.” 

“I’m sure yours is no better.” I actually heard a chuckle out of Dave, and for some reason that made me smile too.

“Yeah, you’re probably right about that, John. Oops, I mean ‘Your Majesty’.”

“Actually, just call me John.” That’s literally the first time someone outside my family has called me just ‘John’ anyway. “So are you coming back here any time this week?”

“Yeah, got a whole food package comin’ in about two days.”

“Huh, looks like we’ll meet again then, huh Strider?”

“Looks like it.”


End file.
